Ok, so after lurking in the threads for a week, I've decided to give Fountain pens a shot! I went to my local store and picked up a Pilot Varsity. Yes a I know it's a disposable but If I love it I'll invest in a more fancy one =)
You may have another follower of The Nib
- Thread starter AirbouneCav
- Start date
Hey, welcome aboard!! I think you will enjoy fountains and especially having fun with the Pilot Varsity! I carry a disposable from time to time and it hasn't let me down yet! Keep us posted on your progress. 
A Varsity is actually a good investment to "try out" fountain pens if you don't want to spend much money. And the ones I have used every one wrote well out of the box. You can refill them, but I understand it is a bit of a pain. It certainly is a good way to get your feet wet.
Varsities are fun and you can get them in different fun colors as well. Then when you move on to higher priced fountain pens, you can experiment nib polishing and grinding with your varsities.
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[QUOTE="AirbouneCav, post: 8910863, member: 114891"...a Pilot Varsity. Yes a I know it's a disposable but If I love it I'll invest in a more fancy one =)[/QUOTE]
Wise course. Much better than buying a expensive pen and finding out you don't like writing with one. The Varsity is a great pen. Liked mine so much, I read up on how to refill it.
Wise course. Much better than buying a expensive pen and finding out you don't like writing with one. The Varsity is a great pen. Liked mine so much, I read up on how to refill it.
I have a few Varsity pens, and I'm not ashamed to say so! I use them at work without any concern of someone walking off with one or breaking one. All of them have been refilled with the inks I like.
The nibs are actually pretty good, and they hold a ton of ink. The caps seal well so the nibs don't dry out easily.
The nibs are actually pretty good, and they hold a ton of ink. The caps seal well so the nibs don't dry out easily.
Welcome aboard...I bought my wife a multi pack of Varsities as a stocking stuffer...they were nice pens! I hope you enjoy.
- Thread starter
- #8
After using the varsity, I might actually commit to getting my self a nicer fountain pen.
I took away a couple of things.
My budget is rather limited to above $50 is pushing it for me =/
I took away a couple of things.
- My Handwriting / Cursive needs improving
- And that a Medium Nib is not my style, I'll need to try extra-fine or fine Nibs
My budget is rather limited to above $50 is pushing it for me =/
- Thread starter
- #9
Let me fix that, limited to nothing above $50.
Many people like the Pilot Metropolitan though I am not one of them. The big step between the section and the barrel hits me at just the wrong place. The Plumix nib can be swapped in to give you a stub nib which is nice.
Lots of people like the Lamy Safari as well.
Welcome to the Nib. And when you empty your Varsity, read on before you dispose of it.
I have refilled my Varsities using this method, which is, if not actually a pain, not as easy as it might be. The next time it comes up, I mean to try this instead, which seems easier, and less likely to damage the pen.
It may not come up soon. The Varsity is a heck of a bargain and writes well, but unsurprisingly, I have other pens which are nicer to write with, although just paying more doesn't guarantee this. I do keep a Varsity filled with a red ink which I want to be able to use occasionally, but don't want to put in a nicer pen.
Apart from writing well, a nice thing about the Varsity is that it will usually start right up after a long hiatus, provided it was capped, of course. If I put that red ink (Noodler's Fox) in some of my other pens, I'd be worried about clogging, and it would get worse the longer I left them unused.
Varsities and other disposable fountain pens are great for people who are prone to losing or destroying nice pens.
Not that I would know anyone like that...
Not that I would know anyone like that...
- Thread starter
- #13
That's a fantastic idea, I'm certainly not a huge fan of the varsity nib, but I also think it could be the paper I currently own.
I'm looking at either the Pilot Metropolitan or the Lamy Safari. Leaning little more towards Lamy just because of the of the exchangeable Nibs
And then there are Esterbrooks...
Stirring the pot a bit I see.....not that it isn't true.
- Thread starter
- #16
Thanks for showing me another manufacturer! I like how classy these look, but leaning on the more expensive side for me. Not that they wouldn't make great pens though
Vintage Esterbrooks can sometimes be found very cheaply at flea markets and such. Of course, they more often than not need to be restored with at least a new sac, and you may not want to start off with vintage pens right away.
Don't confuse these with the modern reproductions of the same name. I doubt if anyone here would recommend those.
Ah. I forgot there are the new fake ones. No, look at the vintage ones.
I love my Metro - great pen, but it isn't the smoothest writer (could be my nib specifically, though). I have a few other random pens, the Jinhao 599 has been pretty fun (looks kinda like a Lamy Safari - but real cheap). I also have some Platinum Preppy's (eye-dropper converted) which is a pretty good way to get a couple pens and start playing with different inks!
